Water Works uncovers and celebrates Minneapolis’ Indigenous and industrial riverfront histories
By Ben Johnson
In Minneapolis, the Mississippi River’s only natural waterfall tumbles through the heart of the city, serving as the focal point for Central Mississippi Riverfront Regional Park—one of the most popular attractions in Minnesota with 3.6-million annual visitors—amidst a bustling, revitalized riverfront district, where thousands of people live, work, and play every day.
Called Owámniiyomni in Dakhóta and St. Anthony Falls in English, the area has been a sacred place for Dakhóta and Anishinaabe people for millennia, as well as a source of power for European immigrants who built a milling empire in the 19th century. This is the dynamic backdrop to the city’s largest and most complex park project in years, Water Works at Mill Ruins Park.
“It’s a fascinating site with an influential and complex history, and I’m glad we took the time to create an ambitious vision and execute it well,” says Al Bangoura, Superintendent of the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB).